Happy New Year!
It is hard to believe that we have been on this journey following God's calling and serving the people of Ukraine for over 25 years! We have seen Him provide for, support, comfort and heal the lives of so many people and it is our highest honor to serve Him and the precious people that we so dearly love.
In all of the darkness, terror, brokenness and loss of war, we have seen God's hand moving and watched God's people respond with compassion and grace for their neighbors. People who would be expected to respond with bitterness and anger, cynicism and doubt, are proclaiming their faith and strengthening their resolve to glorify God, honor Him and serve others the way that Christ humbly served us.
2025 presents us with the greatest opportunities we have ever seen to share God's love with traumatized families and children. In very real and tangible ways, thanks to you, we can meet the spiritual, physical, mental and emotional needs of people who are suffering. We are grateful for each of you and ask you to continue to strengthen your generous support for our partnership ministry. We are looking forward to a blessed and fruitful 2025.
Pastor Roman with families of Nikopol
Camp Willow Park is Full
Millions of Ukrainian children suffer from fear, emotional distress, trauma and PTSD related to direct exposure to combat, occupation by enemy troops or daily bombings. The testimony and appeal of the peaceful setting and healing atmosphere of Camp Willow Park is drawing greater numbers of children every year. For the third year in a row, under martial law and fighting for their lives, Ukrainian campers have completely filled our calendar and facilities for the upcoming summer season. Eleven camps are planned for 2025 at present. Please consider sponsoring a child to camp and partnering with us to meet our expansion goals - click here: Sponsor a Child to Camp. #sponsorachild
Massive renovations and upgrades to the camp have enabled us to maximize our effectiveness and use of space, but we are out of room. Our goal is to expand our facilities and begin to incorporate year-round ministry opportunities in the form of camps, conferences, trainings and retreats at our 5-star facility. We would encourage our American friends to come and visit with your churches and families to experience the tranquility of this place and the beauty of Ukraine. #experienceukraine
Solar Generators
Attacks on the power generation and distribution systems of Ukraine have left millions of civilians in the dark and cold of winter. Learning about this problem, a very generous individual donated 50 American Battery Backup Systems and 50 Solar Panels (Combined = A Solar Generator) for families in Ukraine. Unfortunately, the power requirements in Ukraine are European 230 Volt/50 Hertz and not the U.S. 110 Volt/60 Hertz that power our homes here. So, the donor suggested that we sell these units here in the States for Americans to use for camping, outdoor events, disaster relief and power outages. The sale of these units would provide the funds for us to purchase the European units which we can then distribute to needy families in Ukraine. If you are interested in purchasing a unit and having one sent to Ukraine in your name, contact Shawn at [email protected].
Children's Feeding Program on the Front Lines
Our partners Roman and Inna Golubev, from Salvation Church in the riverfront city of Nikopol in southeastern Ukraine, run a large feeding program that Mission 823 helps sponsor. 400 children and some elderly neighbors are fed weekly because of your partnership with us. The city is located on the banks of the Dnipro River within artillery range of Russian troops. Because the enemy fires constantly and indiscriminately at civilians and residential communities, it has become unsafe to meet in large groups. Relief centers, churches and humanitarian aid teams are targeted first to prevent aid from being distributed to families in need.
In order to safeguard the children and volunteers and continue to provide food to those in need, the decision was made to distribute food covertly home to home. This allows ministry teams to meet with families to better access their needs at home and avoid the exposure of large groups meeting under one roof. The resolve and commitment of these believers is commendable, and the risk is real. This is what being a Biblical neighbor and church look like and we are proud to partner with these warrior servants.
If you would like to help sponsor these feeding programs, you can give here at this link: Feeding Kids. Be sure to designate "Feeding Kids" in the memo box.
Launching Churches Under Fire
Pastor Vladimir and Tatyana Metlov are our church planting partners in the far northeastern regions of Ukraine near the front lines. Under very dangerous threat of “Safari” hunting drones and “Kamikaze” Shahed Iranian drones, the church team conducts ministry outreach, leads Bible studies and hosts worship experiences almost every day of the week. Air raid sirens and explosions are heard and felt daily and rescue, recovery and evacuation are a part of daily life for these believers. Humanitarian assistance is being provided by the church as basic services and the supply chains are being attacked.
Read this report from Pastor Vladimir Metlov, our church planting partner on the north east front. “Greetings Brother Taras and Brother Shawn. Thank you for supporting my family and the new church "There is Hope" in the city of KXXXXXX in SXXXXXXX. I also thank you for your prayer support. The most important direction in which I direct my efforts is team formation. This is exactly what Jesus Christ did. He chose 12 disciples, whom He taught and who continued His ministry. Currently, we have a team of evangelists who are responsible for various missionary points in SXXXXXXX. But we are now forming our team at the Volunteer Center. This team includes our first baptized people (four of them) and five who joined our church from other churches. At the moment, there are 9 of us on the team. We regularly hold a Bible study group together and a prayer meeting once a week. A new group for preparing for baptism has also been recruited, but, unfortunately, these new people who attend this group have encountered great difficulties in their lives. Now we are praying with the whole church that God will help these people overcome these obstacles. In addition to serving in the newly created church, we are setting goals to reach the residents of SXXXXXXX. This is one of the most densely populated areas of KXXXXXX. Due to the war and economic decline, many residents of SXXXXXXX have found themselves below the poverty line, especially people who have reached retirement age. The size of the pension for most is very meager. It is difficult for people to live on the minimum pension. In addition, there are expenses for medicines. With God's help, we organize the distribution of humanitarian food aid. We try to do this regularly every month. Every Sunday we hold services that differ from classic services in that we offer people not church sermons, but a more simplified understanding of biblical truths, in a simple language that they understand. At the end of such a service, a prayer is said for the servicemen who are participating in hostilities. We write down their names beforehand. As a rule, these are relatives and friends of those who attend our services. In the middle of the week, three psychological support groups are held for people who are experiencing stress and psychological problems. Two of them are with a biblical focus. And one of our main achievements this year was that on one day of the week, with God's help, we were able to include two Bible study groups in our weekly schedule. Now, six groups are held at the Volunteer Center every week, of which three are Bible study groups (one for church members), two psychological support groups (with a biblical focus), and one psychological support group for victims of war.”
If you would like to support our church partners, you can give here:
Support Church Plants. Please designate "Church Support: in the Memo box.
Disc Golf is Ministry
Shawn will be attending the Unchained Disc Golf Conference in just a few days where he will meet with the Ukrainian Disc Golf ministry professional Ruslan Muts and his team along with representatives from the Paul McBeth Foundation. Ruslan's organization helped us conduct disc golf clinics at our base in western Ukraine this past summer. Mission 823 just signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Paul McBeth Foundation (PMF) to install a new disc golf course in the village where our Youth Camp is located sometime in the Fall of 2025. The sport is growing and Christian ministries are using it as an exciting outreach tool that is gaining popularity due to its therapeutic activity and low cost of entry. Soon, Disc Golf pros from all over the world will venture to our little village to play this new course and teach youngsters how to master the sport. We are very excited about this new opportunity.
How you can help Support Ukrainian Children and their families
1. Give Today - Consider a monthly recurring donation to our ministry. Mission 823 is a registered 501(c)3 non-profit and all gifts are tax-deductible. Click this link to donate now: DONATE NOW
2. Share our social media pages and newsletters wherever possible. Promoting our pages and work with a supporting testimony is a powerful recommendation for others to follow and take action.
3. Connect us with church and business leaders by introducing us warmly and personally. Meeting with new decision makers and people of influence is how we expand our capabilities and help more kids.
Thank you all for your continued prayer and investment in the lives of these children. You are loved and appreciated. We wish you a very blessed and fruitful 2025!
- Shawn and Amy Sullivan
Please visit our Facebook and Instagram pages and our YouTube Channel and share them widely. We need a lot more voices and ambassadors actively participating so that we can have the greatest impact for the people of Ukraine.
Thank you and God Bless You!
Shawn and Amy Sullivan
CONTACT INFO:
Shawn - [email protected] - ph: 817-313-3656
Amy - [email protected] - ph: 817-773-4758
Office - [email protected] - ph: 352-432-8587
Website: www.mission823.com
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